Thank you very much for your wise response... The man told me that one day is not enough, two days would be more likely... but two weeks?? Well, that's what I should try... What about opening the mold? When is the right time to take my Tiki out of it and put the mold back to dry?
I still try with usual plaster until it comes out perfect (for exercising)... Later maybe I'll switch over to ceramic plaster if it seems necessary...

Lono carving is getting finished soon... It wants some touch of slice and sandpaper... and I have to figure out how sculpted I want it... It's pretty tight face, so I guess I won't try to make it too deep...

We make the mold, when it is hot we take it apart and take out the sculpture. Then we put it back together and put it in the sun to dry.

You said your plaster is setting up too fast. That means you are not using enough water. I figure out the size using a 3 cup measuring cup. I put the water in a deep container. Then while mixing it with an electric mixer I add the plaster a big scoop at a time.

When I see tiny bubbles I stop and dip my hand into the plaster. It is sticks to my fingers like butter milk I'm done. It is is not I add more plaster and mix. Once it is like butter milk then it is ready to pour. It takes around 20 minutes before it becomes hot.

I have lots of "how to make molds" on my section here on other crafts.

Yeap, that's a place I learned before any action... And yeap, I did put too less water... way too less... Now I do it as the guy told me (1,25 kg powder to 1 l water) which is really-really liquid (but seems right)... I didn't saw those bubbles before, now I did... Well, we'll see... Thank you for tips, I need them!

I made a new mold for Kumuhonua... This time I used much more water for plaster powder and tried three-piece version...

I tried to open it next day, but it was too soft, I would have brake it... So today, after one week, I did it...

Result is much better than previously, but still not too good... I think that this time I try to fix this same mold, glue some pieces back which were stuck to wooden guy, and fill some few bubble-holes... The worst thing is that the upper part is one that I have to build up from front-side... In future I think I'll make that cone for slipping lot longer... that it would stay together...

But meanwhile... I started my Lono... from zero again...

Made a drawing which came out exactly as I wanted it... (Classic Lono!)

And carving came out as well... Maybe I brush it up more a little bit, but mostly it's done... Two places happened where I had to use glue+sawdust coctail on its lips, those darker spots there, but otherwise I'm happy with it... I guess I have to work more with the place behind teeth...

Holy work will continue... The mold is drying... Maybe I should tie it together, now it's just placed together... Lono is waiting its time... I hope it will come someday... After the mold is stronger I have to build it up... and next thing is to start learning about clay and stuff... I hope this mold works... or I must make a third one... before forth... to be more competent with fifth...

Jürka, if you want to do a couple hundred mugs then you want your mold to be as perfect as possible. 30 minutes cleaning each one times 200 castings is a buttload of time. But if you are only doing 10 or 20 mugs it's not such a big deal. You don't have to fill in the little bubble holes, just cut the bubble off each casting. The more molds you make the better each one will get (in theory at least, my molds don't seem to be getting any better )

You seem pretty comfortable working with a wood master but there are easier and more forgiving things to work with like clay or wax. Of course you could burn and brush your wood master to get a really cool texture in your mold and on your mug.
_________________May we all get to have a chance to ride the fast one
Walk away wiser when we crashed one
Keep hoping that the best one is the last one

Well, I don't think I ever do couple hundreds of them but I still want it to be as perfect as possible... Ofcourse this is just what I want and not what it is... I hope it's good enough to make first mugs and if it works I'm pretty sure I'll do new mold and hopefully better one. That's why I think I'll try to fix this same mold to be as good as I can make it... that I would not have to do too much fixing work for each clay-guy...

At first I did think about making the master from clay, but... it's much cheaper with wood (I don't have any tools for clay), I think it's much easier for me to do it from wood (I have time to work with it, I don't have to know any other rules or techniques than "result is only that matters")... and most of all I like wooden version because it's the traditional way. Really tikis are carved from wood and mugs are portraying wooden tikis... So I want my mug to be like wooden tiki... I have my own geeks in these things... But I've thought that maybe the wooden guy is the reason why it doesn't like to get out of its plaster-bed (I soaped it well, can't blame me on that), maybe it would be easier with claymen... but... still, I'm gonna be stuck with wood-tikis...

Today I went to see that Kumuhonua's mold... Haven't seen such a hard mold before, so next days I should try to build it up and fix... But very soon I have to go to work for half a year or so... so I think I won't start with clay-stuff before I come back at spring. What I do is maybe... if I have time and mood enough... maybe I will carve Ku in next week or so... Today I already started with it... It's glued together and shaped round...

You can still use an imperfect mold - it just requires a little extra clean-up on the cast slip. Nothing that a little sandpaper or simple clay tools can't fix (I use cheap steel dental tools made in India).

Yeap, but only thing I'm worried at moment is that upper part... I want entry to my mug to be unbent and same fatness... Slip casting clay must run down equally of every side to have perfect ring... Maybe it's not so big problem at all as in theory it seems to be... Must try first...

Some people like to measure plaster out to exact quantities by weight or volume but you can you a "mounding method" if you want it close but not so exact.

Start with your desired volume of water in a container and start sprinkling the plaster over the surface with a spoon. The plaster with absorb water then sink to the bottom. Keep sprinkling the plaster on the water until it has all soaked up and is starting to mound above the waterline. Let it soak (slake) about 5 minutes then stir thoroughly.
_________________May we all get to have a chance to ride the fast one
Walk away wiser when we crashed one
Keep hoping that the best one is the last one

Yes, politics and scientists call it Estonia... and doctors and businessmen and taxidrivers and schoolteachers and all the others... but it doesn't change the fact that Estland is Estland...

I'm doing it in measuring way... 1,25 kg of powder to 1 l of water... and seems right... but next time I must tape corners that it would not flow out from the crate. I'm afraid 5 min to let it soak... it will get hard in that time... All the moves I do, must be the fastest moves of my life... otherwise it gets stoned too early...

I guess I have to find out my Polynesian folder and put some nice southern seas music on... to make a right mood that I'd be able to pick up pen and ruler and start drawing mr Ku...